Episodes

Have you ever noticed how easily your brain falls into the same fearful thoughts every time you ride? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share why our brains are a lot like horses following the same trail through a pasture. The more often we travel one path, the easier it becomes to follow. The good news? We aren't stuck on that trail. We get to create a new one. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, or a mind that automatically jumps to "What if something goes...

Have you ever noticed your brain never asks, "What if this goes really well?" In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I explain why our brains naturally expect the worst after a scary experience. They're not trying to predict the future. They're trying to protect us from getting hurt again. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, or a mind that won't stop imagining everything that could go wrong, this episode is for you. You don't have to stop your thoughts. You just ne...

Have you ever wished your riding confidence would just come back on its own? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share why confidence isn't like a rubber band. It doesn't snap back after a scary experience. It grows back, one small step at a time. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, or waiting for the day you finally "feel ready" again, this episode is for you. Confidence isn't something you wait for. It's something you build through small, safe experiences—bo...

Have you ever wondered what your horse knows about you before you even put your foot in the stirrup? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I talk about something every horse understands. Before we ever pick up the reins, our horses are already reading our energy, our movement, and whether we're truly present. They don't need us to be perfect. They just need us to show up. If you've been feeling stiff, distracted, overwhelmed, or like you're not bringing your best self to the saddle, this...

Have you ever stood at the mounting block and suddenly felt like you couldn't get on—even though you wanted to ride? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share why the mounting block usually isn't the real problem. By the time we get there, our brain has already decided whether today feels safe or dangerous. Understanding what's happening is the first step toward changing it. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, or freezing at the mounting block after a fall or ...

Have you ever noticed how creative you'll get to solve a problem for your horse... but not for yourself? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share the story of my mare who used to stomp on my foot every time I bridled her—and how that simple memory reminded me that we're incredibly creative for our horses, but often accept aches, stiffness, and aging as "just the way it is." If you've been feeling older in the saddle, less balanced, or frustrated that your body doesn't move the way i...

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I explain why your brain keeps sounding the alarm long after the danger has passed. It isn't trying to make you afraid. It's trying to make sure you never have to experience that pain again. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, or a loss of confidence after a fall or scary experience, this episode is for you. Understanding why your brain reacts the way it does is the first step toward helping it feel safe again. In this episode...

I thought I was protecting myself. Looking back... I was protecting my anxiety. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I explore the difference between healthy self-preservation and anxiety that keeps us stuck. Sometimes the hardest part isn't overcoming fear—it's recognizing whether your body is asking for help or your anxiety is asking to stay in charge. If you've been struggling with riding anxiety, loss of confidence, fear after an accident, or feeling like you're holding yourself bac...

Have you ever thought about quitting riding after a scary experience, a loss of confidence, or one really hard day? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share one of the biggest riding decisions I ever made—and why deciding not to make a decision changed everything. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, loss of confidence, or wondering if it's time to give up riding, this episode is for you. Sometimes the best decision isn't deciding your future today. Sometimes ...

You know you're safe. Your horse knows the trail. So why does your brain still act like a barn sour horse trying to get back to the barn? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share one of my favorite horse metaphors for understanding riding anxiety. Sometimes the problem isn't that we're in danger—it's that our subconscious has practiced the same route for so long, it keeps trying to take us back there. If you've ever wondered why riding anxiety keeps showing up even when you know you...

The mounting block used to feel like a brick wall. Today, it gives me knowledge. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share how the mounting block became one of the most valuable places to check in with myself and my horse before every ride. If you've ever struggled with riding anxiety, lost confidence at the mounting block, or wondered why some days feel easy while others don't, this episode will help you see the mounting block in a completely different way. Sometimes it isn't about ...

What if rider confidence has less to do with your horse... and more to do with your relationship with yourself? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I explore the connection between self-trust, leadership, and rider confidence. Many riders spend years focusing on their relationship with their horse, while rarely stopping to consider the relationship they have with themselves. If you've ever struggled with riding confidence, leadership, self-doubt, anxiety around your horse, or feeling u...

Have you ever felt like your riding confidence disappeared? What if it isn't gone at all? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share one of the biggest lessons from my own riding confidence journey: discovering that my confidence wasn't missing—it was hiding behind a danger folder that had gotten way too thick. If you've been struggling with riding fear, riding anxiety, loss of confidence, fear after an accident, or feeling stuck despite your best efforts, this episode may help you u...

For years, I didn't realize how much my health was affecting my confidence in the saddle. The worse I felt physically, the less I trusted myself riding. It happened so gradually that I barely noticed it—until one day I had to sit down to put my socks on. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I explore the connection between rider health, riding confidence, mobility, flexibility, strength, and anxiety. If you've ever wondered why riding feels harder than it used to, why your confidence see...

After my riding accident, it took me nearly 20 years before I truly felt comfortable riding outside the arena again. Along the way, I spent a lot of time, energy, and money trying things that didn't work. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share one of the biggest lessons I learned about overcoming riding fear, rebuilding confidence after an accident, and why confidence doesn't return simply because time passes. If you're struggling with riding anxiety, fear after a horse accident, ...

Sometimes what feels like riding fear… actually starts with tension in the body. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share why riding can start feeling harder when our body gets tight, stiff, and resistant to movement—and how that tension can quietly affect our confidence, balance, comfort, and connection with our horse. If you've ever felt like riding takes more effort than it used to, found yourself bracing instead of flowing with your horse, or wondered why your confidence seems t...

Sometimes our horses notice our tension and anxiety before we do. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share what zebras, lions, and herd instincts taught me about riding anxiety, horse behavior, and why horses are often reflecting our emotional state back to us. If you've ever noticed your horse becoming tense, reactive, distracted, or unsettled when you're feeling nervous, anxious, or stressed, this episode will help you understand why. Horses are herd animals, and their survival de...

Sometimes what feels like riding fear… actually starts with stiffness in the body. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share why rider flexibility affects riding confidence more than most riders realize—and how tight hips, stiff shoulders, a tight back, and restricted movement can quietly create tension, bracing, and loss of trust in the saddle. If you’ve ever felt like you were losing confidence riding, bracing instead of moving with your horse, or feeling stiffer in the saddle than...

Feeling physically unsteady in the saddle can quietly affect far more than just your balance—it can change your confidence, your reactions, and the trust between you and your horse. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share why rider balance affects riding confidence more than most of us realize, and how feeling physically unstable can make our nervous system louder, our reactions bigger, and our horse feel our tension before we even know it’s there. If you struggle with mounting and...

The first 30 seconds after mounting your horse may be shaping far more than you realize. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share how the way I was taught to get on horses as a kid created habits I never even questioned… until I realized those first moments in the saddle were training my horse—and my brain. If your horse fidgets at the mounting block, walks off before you settle in, or you find yourself adjusting everything before ever really connecting, this episode will help you u...

After my riding accident, I created something that completely changed the way I prepare for every ride—and honestly, I wish I had done it years earlier. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share the pre-ride checklist I now use to help reduce riding anxiety, build trust, improve safety, and feel more prepared before ever getting in the saddle. If you struggle with riding fear, loss of confidence after an accident, pre-ride nerves, or wondering if both you and your horse are truly rea...

When our heart starts racing, our palms start sweating, and fear starts taking over, what do we say to our brain? In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share what happens when fear has been practiced so long that our subconscious stops waiting for our leadership… and starts making the decisions for us. Maybe it happens when our horse spooks, moves quicker than expected, or something catches us off guard. Our heart starts racing, our body goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode, and sud...

Maybe it happens at the mounting block, heading out on the trail, when your horse starts moving faster, or stepping into the show ring. Your heart starts racing, your palms start sweating, and suddenly your brain is telling you stories that aren’t helping. In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share how to talk to your brain when riding anxiety shows up—and how to train your mind and body to trust your leadership again. You’ll learn how to: • Name what’s happening • Tell your brain t...

Riding didn’t stop being fun overnight… fear slowly squeezed the fun out of it. ???? 1. Fear fills the space fun used to live in Fun didn’t disappear— it just got pushed out ???? 2. You don’t bring fun back by forcing it Trying to “have fun” usually creates more pressure ???? 3. Start adding fun back in—on purpose Fun isn’t something you wait for… it’s something you create Bring the fun back. If you’re ready to start riding again with calm confidence, you don’t have to figure it out alon...